


The School For Little Vampires, Plus One

by papercrownprincess, Therecameaspider



Category: Die Schule der kleinen Vampire | School for Vampires
Genre: Awkwardness, Character Childishness, F/M, Gen, Humor, Serious At The Start, Slightly More Serious Take On The Series But Still Silly, Some Sap, Stoker Being A Jerk, Unrequited Crush
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-11
Updated: 2017-06-17
Packaged: 2018-09-16 19:39:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 15,985
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9286976
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/papercrownprincess/pseuds/papercrownprincess, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Therecameaspider/pseuds/Therecameaspider
Summary: A mysterious and elegant vampire pays an unexpected visit to the school and brings along her surprisingly mortal daughter. How is something like this possible, and how will Count von Horrificus handle the desperate request to enroll such a child?





	1. An Old Friend and A New Addition

**N** ight had just fallen and already Count Alarich von Horrificus found himself burdened by two things; paperwork for his school finances and an unknown guest. He and his staff had been awake since the last rays of sunset, and while it was not unusual for the castle staff to be fully alert at such an early hour, it was rather unexpected that they should have company so soon in the night; especially company that could not simply fly its way in over the castle walls. When Count Alarich heard that a taxi, of all things, had found its way to the castle plateau carrying an unannounced visitor, he was more than simply perplexed.

Usually such an event would be ignored, but apparently the mortal cab driver's passenger was an elegant vampire woman who claimed to know the Count, or so Lenny had told him before he sent the fair-haired, but also balding, groundskeeper back outside to lower the drawbridge and allow the mystery woman in. Now, Count Alarich simply sat at his desk and waited. He kept his fingers steepled and his intense red eyes fixed upon his open office doors. He would not have to wait long.

As the mysterious woman crossed the threshold of his office, the impassive expression which Count Alarich wore in preparation exchanged for one of familiarity. The woman was tall, with long and elegant blonde hair that was light like cream. She had a slender frame and her skin was beautifully pale. The sunken shadows of her fair eyes were complimented by her dark attire; a dress of deepest violet and simple weave that gently hugged her waist and followed the shape of her legs to cover her feet. Her sleeves hung loose around her arms and down to her wrists. The dress bared her neck and collarbone, but kept its cut tasteful and modest. She was a sight he had not seen in quite some time.

Behind the woman walked a small figure that hid in her shadow, desperate not to be seen and following clumsily, and behind the small figure walked Lenny. Paying no mind to the little creature or the groundskeeper, Count Alarich rose to greet the woman with his arms open.

"Morgana…", he said warmly as he clasped his hands with hers, "It has been over a century."

"Alarich." the woman, Morgana, greeted him in return. She kept a respectable distance between herself and the Count, even as he held their hands together, "It has. And how good it is to see you again."

"Where on earth have you been for so long? You never came to visit." Count Alarich gently inquired.

"Well, I have been... preoccupied.” Morgana cast her gaze down to the small hands that nervously tugged on her dress at her knees.

Count Alarich raised his brows and followed Morgana's eyes. For the first time since she had entered his office, he saw that the small creature who followed her was a child. Count Alarich released Morgana's hands. The nostalgia that had taken his senses had begun to wane and allowed him to become the imposing Headmaster he was usually known to be. He placed his hands upon his walking cane and brought it before him as he leaned over to inspect the hiding child. 

The child was a little girl who was blonde and fair and almost the spitting image of what Morgana had once been, aside from some noticeable differences. Her hair was short and in it she sported two black hair clips. She wore a green and yellow short sleeve striped shirt and peach colored shorts with white high top shoes and white socks. It was an unusually modern and human choice of attire for a vampire child, and upon further inspection the Count had his answer as to why.

Morgana stroked the little girl's hair as the child shied away from Count Alarich and his scrutinizing gaze, "She is my daughter." she said.

Count Alarich's face twisted with confusion and his brow furrowed as he stood upright again, "She is mortal."

"She is my daughter." Morgana firmly repeated, keeping her hand upon the child's head, "Her name is Holly… Her father was-"

"Mortal." Count Alarich stated knowingly. A faint hint of sadness came to his features and his expression softened, "So… The rumors where true."

"If there were rumors. Yes." Morgana nonchalantly replied.

"There were." Count Alarich brought his long fingers to his chin in thought, "But, that would have been over-"

"It was years ago, yes." Morgana interrupted him quickly and pulled her daughter gently forward from behind her. "So much time has passed. Holly has some trouble judging exactly how long it has been. Alarich, may I ask a favor of you?"

The Count frowned. He rolled his elegant hand as he spoke, drawing out his response, "I am afraid my station as Headmaster requires that I inquire as to the nature of this favor before I commit. I must warn you that I am unpermitted to display any manner of partisanship unless it benefit the school directly."

Morgana's graceful expression wilted and she lowered her head. It was as if he had already rejected her. Despite Count Alarich's excellent professionalism and implied detachment, Morgana's reaction caused him to feel noticeable guilt.

Count Alarich felt his features soften. "Though for you, Morgana… I would like to say; Yes. Anything."

"It is good to hear that." Morgana managed a smile, "But of course I understand."

Silence fell between the two. The child who had been introduced as Holly looked to her mother and then to the Count, merely observing their odd behaviors. If she had any words, she kept them to herself. Holly glanced back briefly at the open doors she and her mother had come through. She saw Lenny standing patiently just beyond the threshold. He smiled at her, but otherwise remained still and quiet. He had not been dismissed by the Count and perhaps he did not want to be. Holly was aware that the arrival of her mother had been a surprise, but she did not yet understand why; it was reasonable to guess that the groundskeeper wanted to stay because he was also curious. Morgana finally spoke and brought their attention back to her and the Count.

"I will be frank as possible." Morgana began and pulled Holly closer to her, "Our situation is difficult. Holly knows what she is but she does not quite understand, and honestly neither do I. There is much left undocumented about half-mortal children. However, Holly cannot simply live a mortal life either. You know already why that is and what is different."

Count Alarich nodded. "Indeed I do. I also know why there is so little documentation on half-mortals. The very existence of such children is quite... taboo."

Holly frowned and looked up at her mother with a quizzical stare.

"Yes…", said Morgana as she ignored her daughter's confused expression and Count Alarich's brief, scolding tone, "So as you can assume, I do not know how to go forward. She is getting older and I know not what changes await her or what she will require. …Alarich-"

"If you are about to request that I allow her into my school, Morgana-" Count Alarich held up his hand, but Morgana would not stop until her point had been made.

"I need help, Alarich!" Morgana pleaded. This was the first time Morgana had sounded so desperate and it caused Count Alarich some pause. He said nothing, and Morgana continued, "I am not fit to teach her and she needs to be properly educated about her vampire heritage! Even with how a scarcely part of her it may seem to be, it still affects her!"

The two fell silent once again. Count Alarich's eyes said that he wanted to aid Morgana, but what she had requested was absurd and he had to deny her. Morgana felt the dread of rejection as it welled inside her chest. She braced for it. However, before the Count could say a word, Lenny, who had been silent the entire time, spoke up from the doorway.

"Forgive me, Your Terrible Excellentness," he said, "but perhaps we could accept the Lady's request for such an exception to school rule? And in exchange, we could write down what we observe about the young Miss."

Count Alarich scowled, "And why would we do that, Lenny?"

The groundskeeper shrunk back a little and continued nervously, "I just thought… If there really is so little known about half-mortal children, then ours would be the only facility to conduct an appropriate study of the subject. We could publish our findings and it might even aid our school... um, financially."

The hard look on Count Alarich's face faded. "Why, Lenny...", he mused aloud, now intrigued, "That is the most simultaneously ludicrous and brilliant idea I believe you have ever had in all of your unlife."

Morgana's face lit up. "Yes!" she agreed hopefully, "Taboo a subject as it is, there is barely any research on it. But that does not mean Scholars are not curious."

"It would be an investment." Count Alarich stroked his chin. For the first time since his guests arrived, his attention returned to the financial paperwork on his desk, "One we could not cash in on for some years to come. Maybe even decades… Or longer still. A century..."

Morgana began to dread once more. She felt that if he thought it out, he may consider against it despite having found it to be a good idea only a moment ago. Her fair features wrinkled with worry.

"…If we wish to ensure that the child is safe, of course. And we will." continued Count Alarich as he nodded his approval and looked once more to Morgana, "None outside of the school may know of her attendance. We will educate her alongside the rest of the children, but in secret. We will record every major or minor change in her development, which can later be published for the school's benefit once our study has concluded; likely after her graduation or full maturity. Whichever comes first."

"Oh Alarich! Thank you!" relief swept over Morgana and she dotted away invisible tears with her elegant fingers.

"Now, now Morgana. No need for that." Count Alarich offered his arm to her, "Come. Let us escort young Miss Holly to class."

Morgana took hold of the Count's arm and motioned her quiet daughter along with her other hand. Holly frowned with uncertainty up at her mother, who was behaving all too friendly with the Count for her liking.

"Mama," Holly spoke in a hushed voice, "I don't know if I want to-"

"No, Holly." Morgana stopped her, "This is for our benefit as much as it is for theirs. You need to be here. … _We _need to be here."__

__Count Alarich raised a brow at Holly's protest. "I imagine you will find your lessons to be quite interesting here, far more so than anything you have yet experienced."_ _

__As they crossed the threshold of his office and stepped into the long hall outside it, Count Alarich called back to the groundskeeper, who lingered behind them in the doorway, "Lenny."_ _

__"Yeees, Your Excellence?” Lenny stepped forward and began to follow._ _

__"Prepare a comfortable crypt for Lady Morgana and a bedroom for young Holly.” Count Alarich instructed, “Use the guest room if you must, and find something more suitable to our school's dress code for her to wear. No bright colors."_ _

__“Right away, Count!” Lenny sprinted ahead and left the Count to escort his guests through the crooked castle halls._ _

__With a pit in her stomach as she followed her mother and the Count, Holly realized that any choice she had had been stripped away long before she arrived. She could tell that everything she knew was going to change tonight, and she was not sure if the idea of strange new experiences excited or frightened her._ _


	2. The Odd One Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We see through Holly's eyes as she meets the other children and unwillingly becomes the center of attention during her class introduction.

**T** he Count and Morgana spoke with great familiarity as they walked the castle halls, and Holly ignored most, if not all, of their conversation. She could not understand the implied fondness that both vampires expressed towards one another; to her the Count was merely a tall, foreboding stranger in a dark coat and hat who had a mustache and dark auburn hair and carried a walking cane. Though Count von Horrificus had expressed acceptance toward her and had stated his intention to keep her safe, Holly could not simply overcome his intimidating appearance just yet. His glowing red eyes were especially unsettling and Holly wondered if they had always been that way.

Their leisurely stroll through the castle came to a slow stop at the end of a hall, but Holly did not notice this until she had walked into her mother's legs. 

Morgana cast a glance down at her child, “Holly. Pay mind to yourself and where you are going.”

Feeling somewhat embarrassed, Holly mumbled. “Yes'm.” 

Wondering why they had stopped at a dead end, Holly noticed that Count Alarich stood in front of a tall wooden door with his hand grasping the doorknob, poised to turn. He had his eyes fixed upon her in wait, as if expectant. Unsure what he wanted, but feeling she needed to do _something _, Holly adjusted her posture and brushed nonexistent grime from her shirt.__

__Count Alarich raised a brow at the child's odd display. “Are you ready, Miss Holly?” he asked._ _

__“Oh!” Holly exclaimed in realization, “Yessir! I'm ready.”_ _

__“Very good,” said the Count as he turned the knob of the looming door and pushed it open, “...because we are here.”_ _

__As the small and narrow classroom behind the door came into view, Holly finally realized that, the Count and groundskeeper aside, she had never really seen another vampire other than her mother; and she had certainly never witnessed vampires in groups. The class beyond the door's threshold was filled with an assortment of unusual looking children and one frightening teacher._ _

__The teacher wore tiny round glasses across his pointed nose. He had on a long, buttoned up coat and he wore a hat that made him resemble a chef more than an instructor. The color of his outfit was somewhere between blue and violet, and was drably lacking saturation. His eyebrows were bushy and his teeth looked like that of a rat's with two protruding fangs packed tightly together at the very front of his mouth. Just like Morgana and the Count, his eyes were sunken and his skin was pale; his fingers were also long and pointed. He seemed surprised to see the Count stopping by his class._ _

__“Professor Oxblood.” Count Alarich greeted the teacher and stepped into the classroom ahead of Holly and her mother. He kept the tall wooden door open with his foot and stood with his cane before him, both hands resting upon it._ _

__“Count von Horrificus!” said Oxblood, showing the Count a smile, “Why, we were just reviewing the human cardiovascular system and the most efficient places for biting. But, er, what brings you by the classroom this evening?”_ _

__Holly felt the blood drain from her face the moment she heard Oxblood declare what he was teaching. Her body felt stiff and she hesitated in the doorway, unable to make herself move. After a moment, she became aware of her mother's gentle hands upon her shoulders. Morgana urged Holly forward and they stepped into the room together._ _

__“Morgana!” Oxblood's smile broadened into an elated grin, “Why, I have not seen you in-”_ _

__“Over a century, yes.” Count Alarich interrupted and gestured to Holly, “We have a new addition to our school.”_ _

__“Oh? What's that?” Oxblood curiously looked Holly's way._ _

__Holly could feel more than just the teacher's eyes on her as she awkwardly stood in front of her mother; every vampire child present was also looking at her. She took a moment to acquaint herself with exactly how many of them there were._ _

__In the front row sat a well-dressed boy with fluffy looking black hair who appeared to be about her age. He wore a dull green vest and red tie over a white long sleeve shirt. He was at his desk so she could only assume, based on his seemingly smart style of dress, that he wore slacks and shoes to match. He stared at her in blank surprise._ _

__Across from him was a much younger boy. He had admittedly cute little baby-fangs and a charmingly round face. He wore a faded baby blue sailor outfit and a round, yellow hat with a red ribbon. He was the only one smiling and he looked excited to be getting a new classmate. Holly wondered if he could tell that she was different; she wondered if any of them could. It was likely._ _

__Behind the fluffy haired boy, on the next row, sat a girl. She looked as if she might be the oldest of the vampire children. Her head was shaved on either side and what was left of her hair was pulled back into a high ponytail. Her hair was deeply red and was curly at the ends. She wore a midriff baring top in a dark shade of fuchsia with bell sleeves. The vampire girl shifted in her seat and Holly caught a glimpse of a long skirt that covered the girl's feet. Around her neck was a spider on a choker. From the look of it alone, Holly was certain the spider was alive._ _

__Across from the girl sat a nerdy looking boy with what seemed to be mechanical spectacles. Holly could have sworn that one of the frames was zooming in on her, like a telescope. His fangs had some space between them, but they were still rather close together at the front of his pointed mouth and they looked alarmingly sharp. The boy sported blonde hair in a bowl-cut with his forehead exposed. He wore dark suspenders over a faded pink shirt. Holly thought that he might be wearing equally awkward pants and shoes under his desk._ _

__Behind the girl and the nerd was the final row. The odd thing about the final row was that one desk seemed to be occupied by a pile of dirt, or ash. Not much to observe there. However, as Holly looked across from the ash pile to the only other student left, she felt a chill jitter down her spine._ _

__She was locked eye to eye with a boy who had thick eyebrows and slicked back, short black hair. He was frowning and tapping his pointed finger upon his desk impatiently. He had on a dark cape that looked to be lined with velvet, and he wore a long sleeve shirt with suspenders. The color of his shirt was a drab, pale hue somewhere between blue and violet, like Oxblood's own attire. She would have thought him to look ridiculous, if not for the fact there was something unsettling about his classic Dracula-like appearance. His fangs looked razor-sharp._ _

__With the dark and/or washed out color pallets of everyone else in the room, Holly became abruptly aware of the vibrancy in her own clothing. The green and yellow of her striped shirt appeared bright, and her peachy-pink shorts were pinker than she recalled. Even her own skin seemed to glow in comparison. She felt like a light bulb in a dim room. It was beyond uncomfortable._ _

__All this time she had fancied herself to be very similar to her mother, but in the presence of all these different vampire children, she finally understood just how mortal she may really be. She suddenly felt more out of place than she could ever remember feeling._ _

__“Allow me to introduce the Lady Morgana and her young daughter, Holly.” Count Alarich addressed the class, and his voice brought Holly back from her upsetting observations._ _

__“Greetings, children.” Morgana said with elegance. “Holly, say hello.”_ _

__“Aaah...” Holly felt her mouth stall._ _

__“Uh, hi!”, “Hello!”, “Hey.”, “Salutations.” Four of the children greeted her all at once and their voices just meshed together in a garble of hellos. She thought she might have heard the boy the in the very back simply grumble._ _

__“You'll have to forgive Stoker,” the vampire girl with the spider choker spoke up, looking amused. “We were in the middle of his favorite subject.”_ _

__“Stoker can wait a little longer.” Count Alarich started in response, “Holly will be enrolling as of tonight, and ensuring your new classmate feels welcome is important. There will be plenty of time after to continue your lesson.”_ _

__Stoker, the boy in the back, sucked his teeth. He seemed more irritated._ _

__Count Alarich continued, “I expect you all to become well acquainted with young Holly, as she and Lady Morgana will be staying with us for quite some time.”_ _

__Professor Oxblood seemed to have finished his inspection of Holly and he looked up at the Count in disbelief. “But, er... Count von Horrificus... this girl... she appears... mortal?”_ _

__A heavy silence fell over the classroom. Holly could hear her heart pounding in her ears. The children were staring at her differently now, mostly in equal confusion and disbelief; all except for the nerdy one. He must have noticed earlier, when he was inspecting her from his desk._ _

__Count Alarich faced Oxblood, standing straight and noble with his hands upon his walking cane, “Appearances are not everything, Professor Oxblood. Though I will not deny the girl has some... mortal heritage.”_ _

__“Mortal heritage?” Oxblood swapped his gaze quickly between Holly and Morgana. He gasped. “You mean she is a… a half-mortal?!”_ _

__A collective gasp swept through the vampire children as well._ _

__“What is a half-mortal?” the youngest asked, only to find himself being hushed by the nerd, the fluffy haired boy, and the vampire girl in unison._ _

__Holly felt her face grow hot. Never before in her life had she been the center of so much potentially negative attention. Her muscles grew more tense, keeping her posture noticeably rigid. Morgana appeared to be getting a little upset, as well. Count Alarich saw this, and was quick to assert his final word on the situation before any more questions could be asked._ _

__The Count loomed over Oxblood, “Holly will be attending our school and we will be keeping a record of her development. Research on half-mortals is scarce and the school stands to benefit from officially documenting such a rare occurrence... And I will hear nothing of it being taboo. Do you find issue with that, Professor?”_ _

__Oxblood held up his hands and nervously stammered, “Of course not! Of course not! I am delighted that we have such an opportunity! Er... Holly, was it? Why don't you go and... take a seat. You will have to share with someone.”_ _

__Holly's stomach sank. Her mother gave her a nudge and Holly moved forward, painfully aware of the eyes that continued to follow her. This was going to be a long night._ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is fanart for this chapter! Papercrownprincess over at deviantart.com drew some.  
> You can view it here: http://archiveofourown.org/works/9331847  
> Or here: http://papercrownprincess.deviantart.com/art/SFLVPO-FanArt-Holly-In-The-Doorway-664378100


	3. A Matter Of Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Holly attempts to integrate herself into class as unobtrusively as possible. Meanwhile, Count von Horrificus and Lady Morgana wander the castle halls and discuss the passage of time.

**H** olly's legs felt heavy. She moved forward slowly as she approached the student desks. Each desk sat upon a long step, and the steps ascended upwards to the back of the room, giving the vampire children ample space to see over one another's heads. At the very back there appeared to be another tall, wooden door. Perhaps it was a closet, or another way to exit the classroom.

Holly searched for the friendliest face she could find as she chose where to sit. She could have went with the youngest, or perhaps the fluffy haired boy, but neither wore a readable expression anymore. She could have sat at the desk with the ash pile and cleaned it off, but there was no way she was going to sit across from the scary boy in the very back.

Finally, Holly chose to sit next to the only other girl in the class. She wasn't expecting it when the vampire girl spoke to her, almost immediately as she sat down.

“Why me?” the girl asked.

Holly felt her muscles tense. She turned her head to smile awkwardly at the vampire girl, “Because... um... I just thought it would be nice to sit next to someone that I have something in common with! We're both the only girls in here, so...”

The vampire girl shrugged, “I guess that makes sense. Fine with me.”

For some reason, the vampire girl's reaction made Holly feel a little more at ease. “So, um... what's your name?” Holly asked, deciding she should.

The vampire girl smiled, “Gothetta.” It was an odd name, but the vampire girl seemed comfortable with it, “You're called Holly, right? Tough break.”

“My mom chose that name; and my mom is standing right there, you know.” the way Gothetta had poked fun registered as friendly to Holly, and she suddenly found it easier to talk to her and even poked back a little.

Gothetta gave Holly an amused grin, “No she's not.”

“What?” Holly snapped her attention to the front of the class.

Her mother was gone, and the Count was also about to leave. He lingered in the doorway for a moment and addressed the class, “Lady Morgana is a dear friend and you will treat her daughter with respect.” He pointed a long finger at the children and spoke low, but audibly, “Mortal or not, no harm is to come to her while she attends this school. Am. I. Clear?”

There was a unanimous “Yes sir.” from the other children. It seemed even those familiar with the Count were not immune to his intimidation; Oxblood himself had demonstrated such, earlier. Count Alarich withdrew from the classroom and pulled the door silently, but firmly shut behind him.

For some reason, the Count's parting words stuck with Holly: 'Mortal or not'. It seemed the Count had made his mind up about her already, or maybe it had been a slip of the tongue. There was no arguing that she shared no physical traits with the rest of the children around her. What if the very definition of being half-mortal was still just being mortal? What if there was no difference? It bothered her and she was not sure why. 

“Very well then, I see you are getting along well enough with Gothetta, Holly.” Professor Oxblood interrupted Holly's train of thought. He seemed to have gained composure, now that Count Alarich was gone, “I will introduce the rest of your classmates and we will resume the lesson.”

Oxblood extended his long, bony fingers and gestured to each student individually. It was not difficult to figure out whom he was introducing, even if he did not make an effort to leave the front of the class to do so. Soon, Holly knew all of their names. The fluffy haired boy was Oskar von Horrificus, the Count's nephew. The youngest boy was Klothart P. Pumpkinfiend, or just Klot for short. The nerd was Leechy von Lebanlos. The scary boy in the back, Stoker, was Stoker Grimtale Cryptcrawler the Third, which was a name to run away from if Holly had ever heard one. And of course, she already knew Gothetta's name. 

Holly was surprised to learn that the pile of ash behind her was sentient and named Ashley Aschenbecher; she was even more surprised when he actually spoke. “Welcome to class, Sweetheart.” he said.

Holly didn't respond. She could only blink dumbly.

“Isn't that cute? She's bashful! No need to be. I know I'm a lot to get used to, what with how devilishly handsome I am and all.” Ashley, being a pile of ash, still somehow had facial features and he was using them smugly.

“All right that's enough. Settle down, settle down.” Oxblood interrupted, “Er, Holly. You have attended mortal schools, yes? Were there any subjects similar to this one?” 

Oxblood picked up a long ruler so that he could tap a chart that stood at the front of the class. On the chart was an illustration of the human cardiovascular system, like he had stated earlier, but it was labeled in a fashion that reminded Holly of a meat guide for livestock. 

Holly felt her stomach nervously turn. “Uh... Kind of, I guess. I mean, there was always biology class and learning about heart health and um... blood circulation. It's been a while, though...”

“So, this should be somewhat familiar to you. Excellent. Now then, as I was saying before...” Oxblood dove back into his lesson with no further hesitation.

In the hall outside of the classroom, Morgana and Count Alarich once again walked arm in arm. Warm nostalgia took Morgana and she smiled at the old paintings, looming windows, the old suits of armor and other decor that adorned the familiar nooks and crooked castle corridors. They roamed through the castle, passing by Count Alarich's study and then beyond to the dining hall. They were headed nowhere in particular; Morgana simply felt the urge to retrace steps that she had not made in well over a century, and Count Alarich was content to escort her as she did so. Their steps eventually lead them past the crypt where the children would sleep and then to the library, Morgana's gaze lingered as they passed by.

“Do you remember that?” Count Alarich asked.

“Sharing the same crypt? Yes. We were perfectly aligned across the room from one another.” Morgana mused aloud. “Klaus had his coffin between ours.”

“Yes, and the three of us spent many late mornings in the library, talking away the hours.” Count Alarich recalled, briefly scratching his chin in thought.

“We would dodge the sunlight in the halls as we crept back to our coffins.” Morgana said with a grin.

“And we were all absolutely fatigued in class every following evening.” the Count reminded her.

Morgana laughed softly. “Oxblood was always so disappointed with us.” 

“It was worth it every time.” said Count Alarich as he smiled fondly. 

“Such happier nights.” Morgana wistfully sighed. “How is Klaus? Have you heard from him recently?”

“He is known as the Grand High Dragon of vampire organists, famous for his chilling chords and haunting musical performances. He came to visit just three years ago and to attend a small school concert.” Count Alarich informed her, “Out of all the children you saw tonight in Oxblood's class, the youngest was Klaus' son; young Master Klothart Pumpkinfiend.”

“Klaus has a son now?” Morgana sounded surprised, “Why, I never thought he would settle down.”

“Neither did I.” Count Alarich stated in brief agreement. “That being said; it is good to have the offspring of my own former classmates as students at my school...”

The Count fell silent. The more they walked, the more time he had to think. Something began to trouble his mind and he became distracted. His cane tapped the hard stone floor with every other step and Morgana found her attention drawn to the noise.

“Alarich,” Morgana said, “you are stepping rather heavily. Are you all right?” 

Count Alarich exhaled silently through his nose, “The scent of mortal blood will be a distraction for the children. I know that Holly is only half-mortal, but even you can not deny she carries a distinct... aroma.”

Morgana's smile faded and she cast her eyes forward as they walked. “The smell of lifeblood trapped behind mortal flesh, yes. But it is very faint, Alarich, because she is not simply mortal.”

“Of course.” Count Alarich nodded, “Perhaps that will keep it from being too much of a distraction. Tell me Morgana, is Holly aware of how slowly she has been aging?”

“No.” Morgana said in a quiet voice, “We have remained mobile for decades. Her attendance at mortal schools were brief before I would uproot her again. Then, I would wait a few years for her to age before enrolling her again in a higher grade. I have never acquainted Holly with a mortal calendar, though a few of her schools may have.”

Count Alarich frowned at the elegant woman on his arm, “Are you certain? I would imagine that she made some friends, and perhaps they might have compared ages and… mortal birthdays with one another.” 

“I have always told Holly that vampire birthdays and calendars are different from mortal ones. I have told her that our years are different, though I have never told her how or why.” Morgana kept her gaze ahead of them. Her fair face held an oddly stoic expression as she continued to speak, “I informed Holly that if any mortal were to ask about her birthday, she was to say September the Fifth... and I would give her a different birth year depending on the current decade.”

“I see. It was getting harder to keep doing that, I would imagine.” Count Alarich brought his attention ahead of them again, finding that Morgana would not meet his gaze.

“It was not a charade I could keep up forever. I needed to bring her here, Alarich.” For a moment, Morgana's grasp on the Count's arm became tense, “She is stuck somewhere between my blood and her father's. She appears mortal, but she does not age like one...”

Count Alarich felt the sudden firmness in Morgana's fingers and raised his brow. “Clearly the complicated nature of it all has you deeply troubled.” 

They walked in silence for bit; the cold of the castle corridors did little to bother them, though the empty echos of the halls around them left something to be wanted. Neither could fathom why it was so difficult to continue talking.

Finally, Count Alarich spoke again, “Is this why you did not want me to mention how long it had been since I heard you were courting a mortal man?”

“Perhaps I am being over-protective.” Morgana sighed and her tense grip relented, “He was her father, and she was very young when we were made to leave him. I am not certain how much of him she remembers. ...And now, because you have spoken about it, I am second guessing if she really is, in fact, unaware of how slowly she has been aging... Perhaps she does know.”

“My apologies, Morgana. It was a point that needed to be made. We should never underestimate the cleverness of our children.” Count Alarich stated. His face hardened for a moment as another thought came to his mind, “Tell me, why do you say you were made to leave him?”

“He learned of what we were.” Morgana's reply sounded detached. “He was frightened. Angry.”

“But she was his _child _.” Count Alarich scowled in disapproval.__

__“Born of a monster.” Morgana simply stated._ _

__Her response troubled the Count. He stopped Morgana and stood before her with his hands upon her shoulders. Morgana brought her distant gaze up to meet him and her stoic expression faltered as she struggled with obvious emotional restraint._ _

__Count Alarich lifted her elegant chin, “You are not a monster.” Being seen as monstrous was usually something to be proud of, but he knew that was not the case for this particularly delicate situation. He tried to comfort her, “I can not bare to see you in such distress, Morgana.”_ _

__The pang in Morgana's chest broke her composure. Her fair face wilted with sorrow as her eyes became damp. Without hesitation, she pulled herself into Count Alarich's arms for the comfort they offered, and the two shared a chaste embrace. He held her, allowing Morgana to hide her face in his coat. He would give her this fleeting moment of vulnerability, though his eyes continued to watch the halls to ensure their privacy._ _

__“Even if we had not come to this solution,” he said, “I would have tried to help you another way."_ _


	4. Every School Has Its Bully

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stoker plays a little prank on Holly, getting her into some trouble. He then later proceeds to share his uncensored opinion about her attendance.

**F** or a teacher who looked so old and sounded so well-versed with his instruction, as if he had taught it a thousands times over, Oxblood was surprisingly enthusiastic about his lesson. With his yardstick in hand, he tapped and poked the featureless little human on his chart sharply, his words commanding the attention of his students.

“Be sure you are taking notes,” Oxblood instructed, “This is not the first time we have reviewed the subject matter, but it never hurts to have an updated copy of one's personal observations. Now, the most preferred area upon where to bite is the neck, and for good reason, but it is not always the most easily accessible. However, -”

Each time Oxblood would tap a spot on the human illustration, Holly would touch the corresponding area on her own body and cringe. She was sitting through a class that essentially told her what parts of her body would bleed the best, and it was becoming unpleasant. She found it difficult to get comfortable in her seat.

She must have been visibly writhing, because Gothetta stopped note-taking to check on her, “Are you okay, Holly?” Gothetta asked, keeping her voice low.

“Huh?,” Holly had her hand upon her neck, absently shielding it while Oxblood's ruler circled around the location of the outer jugular vein on his chart, “Oh yeah. Yeah, I'm all right.”

Gothetta raised an eyebrow at her, “Are you _sure_ about that? I mean, it's no big deal if not. Oskar usually has trouble with these lessons himself.”

Gothetta pointed at the fluffy haired boy who sat below them at the front of the class. Holly looked Oskar's way and saw that he appeared to also be having some difficulty. He was sluggishly taking notes and would pause often to hold a hand to his stomach and let his tongue hang from his mouth as if he were sick. Holly wondered what his reason for unrest could be, given that he _was_ a vampire and it wasn't as if he was having the same problem that she was.

“What's wrong with him?” Holly asked, finding Oskar's own fidgeting to be very curious.

“No talking during the lesson!” Both girls flinched as Oxblood raised his voice to address them. He turned around from his chart, slapping a yardstick down into his palm and squinting at the two girls, “Unless you have a question?”

“No sir!” Gothetta returned to her notes.

“Ah, n-no, Mr. Oxblood...” Holly returned to her blank sheet of paper.

Oxblood smiled and turned back around to his chart. “Holly. It is unbefitting of a vampire to speak with such timid mannerisms. In the future, when I ask you a question, I want you to respond quickly and with firm certainty. Do you understand?”

“Y-yes sir, Mr. Oxblood!” Holly quickly straightened her posture, as if that were the key to being more assertive.

In the back of the class, Stoker watched Holly as she struggled to adjust. “Pfft. Vampire. She's no vampire – she's more like a snack, if you ask me. And I think she knows it.” he said. His thick eyebrows lifted up as a horrible idea came to him. He dug through his pockets and produced a small, wriggling paper bag. “Speaking of snacks...”

Leechy, the nerd who sat in front of Stoker and on the same row as Holly and Gothetta, turned in his seat. “What are you going on about?”

“Every time Oxblood taps an artery on that chart, she covers up the same spot on herself.” Stoker explained, reaching into the squirming paper bag with his sharp fingers. He pulled out a live centipede.

“Stoker,” Leechy began, almost in warning, “You're not going to do with that what I think you're going to do, are you?”

“Stop being such a downer, Leechy!” Stoker hissed, “I'm not going to do anything. ...My shadow is!”

Stoker could hardly contain his gleeful snickering as his shadow took hold of the wriggling centipede and stretched across the classroom. It happened quick. Stoker's shadow pulled on the neckline of Holly's shirt from behind her and dropped the live centipede down her back. Holly screamed almost immediately when she felt the insect on her skin. The rest of the class looked her way in alarm just as she sprung from her seat and began wildly reaching behind herself, twisting her arms in awkward ways to slap her back in desperation. She stomped her feet as she squirmed in place. Stoker couldn't contain himself and burst out into a loud guffaw as Holly writhed.

“Holly!” Oxblood scolded, raising his voice above Stoker's cackling, “What is the meaning of this interruption?! Are you trying to dance?! I will have no dancing in class! Sit down immediately!”

The centipede fell out of Holly's shirt and landed on the floor with it's legs squirming. The sight caused Holly to let out another shrill screech, and she tumbled backwards over the seat she shared with Gothetta, landing on her back with her own feet up in the air. Stoker had to hold onto his desk to keep himself from also falling over. He gasped for air between laughter.

Oxblood was furious at this point. He scowled as he stalked the rows between the children. Gothetta was trying to help Holly up by the time he reached them. “Hardly thirty minutes into class and already you are causing a disruption?!”

Holly stammered as she met the teacher's angry gaze. She felt her blood run cold, “B-b-but, Mr. Oxblood! S-someone-”

“Someone, what?” Oxblood demanded, but gave her no time to answer, “Do not think, just because your mother is good friends with both myself and the Count that you can disrupt the class, pawn it off on someone else and get away with it! You must take responsibility for your actions.”

“But, Mr. Oxblood-!” Holly tried again.

Oxblood shook his head. “I understand if you are uncomfortable with the lesson, but you could have simply requested permission to leave instead of causing a scene and distracting the other children.”

“Yeah,” Stoker had managed to gain control of his laughter. He spoke in a mock pitiful voice, “I was so interested in the lesson. How will I ever be able to focus again?”

“Be quiet, Stoker!” Oxblood snipped, easily picking up on the boy's insincerity, “Or you will be attending detention with young miss Holly.”

“Detention?!” Holly cried.

“Yes.” Oxblood returned his attention to her, “One hour's morning detention. Not a very favorable start to your first night of school, but it is no different from what I would have given any of the other students.”

“But Mr. Oxblood-!” Holly tried a final time.

“What's that? Do you think, just because your mother is the Lady Morgana that you are entitled to special treatment?” Oxblood gave Holly a stern gaze from over the rim of his glasses.

“N-no. ...No sir.” Holly said, finally defeated.

Oxblood nodded. “Good. If I hear any more complaining, I will make it two hours detention. Is that clear?”

Holly lowered her head, “Yes sir, Mr. Oxblood.”

“Very, very good. Any more disruptions will also result in even more detention.” the professor turned his back as Holly was re-seated. He returned to the front of the classroom, leaving Holly at her and Gothetta's shared desk, with her hands covering her eyes.

Gothetta frowned and placed a hand upon Holly's shoulder. Holly lifted her hands to show that she wasn't crying.

“...Sorry.” Holly murmured.

“Don't be. It's alright.” Gothetta quietly assured her before returning to her note-taking.

An hour passed and the children were released from class for a small break. Stoker was first out the door, followed by Leechy and Oskar. Klot had to help Ashley into his cart before he could leave, and Gothetta wandered out behind them with Holly following at the end. As Holly was leaving the classroom, Lenny, the groundskeeper from before, approached her.

“Hello again, little Miss.” he said with a smile, “I've been instructed to show you the way to your room and to give you your new school attire.”

Holly looked up at him with tired disinterest, “Where's my mom?”

“Why, she's gone into town to purchase a few extra items of food that will be more suited for your palate.” he said.

Holly cringed. Her mother wouldn't have done that if it wasn't necessary, but Holly couldn't help but be reminded of how Oxblood had lectured her about expecting special treatment; which, she didn't expect it, but knew she was basically getting it anyway.

“Is something the matter?” Lenny asked, noticing the girl's lethargy and discomfort.

“Ah, no.” Holly lied, “Everything's fine. So... where did you say my room was?”

Lenny smiled again, “Right this way.” he said, and motioned her down the hall. Holly followed.

Stoker sucked his teeth as he watched them leave. “Look at that. No special treatment, my overbite! She's getting her own room!”

“Of course she is, Stoker.” Oskar said, as if trying to reason with the shorter vampire, “She's… She probably can't sleep in a coffin.”

“Which is likely a good thing since there's limited space in the crypt right now as it is.” Ashley spoke up from his cart in agreement.

“If that's the case then she's too different. Even that one werewolf kid had to sleep in the crypt with us when he was here.” Stoker scowled.

“Yeah, and he had to share a coffin with _you_.”, Gothetta reminded him, “I don't think something like that would fly this time, not in this scenario.”

“You're right.” Stoker began, smirking and pointing at Gothetta, “She'd be sharing with you because you're the only other girl.”

“I don't have a problem with that.” Gothetta folded her arms defiantly, “... though, there isn't that much space in my coffin to begin with...”

“See?” Stoker smirked.

“You're not making any sense, Stoker.” Oskar said impatiently, “Everything you say just makes it more obvious why Holly should get a separate room, and why you should stop complaining about nothing.”

“It's not nothing! She's different and she's getting special treatment because of it!” Stoker huffed.

“We know she's different, Stoker.” Oskar said, finding his patience to be running out. He folded his arms and began tapping his foot.

“Exactly! She doesn't belong here! If she can't just sleep in a coffin, and she has to eat different food, then she shouldn't even be here in the first place!” Stoker threw his arms into the air, overstating his frustration with how his fellow classmates failed to see his point.

“Oh, shut up Stoker.” Gothetta sighed.

Stoker grumbled and folded his arms. The children fell quiet, each opting to keep any further opinion about Holly to themselves for the time being, or until someone picked up the conversation again and moved it elsewhere. They usually spent their evening breaks stretching their limbs in the hall and having casual chats, which did turn into the occasional argument anyway, so they were used to abruptly stopping a discussion and then starting a new one again.

“So, what exactly happened in there?” Gothetta asked, “I know Holly was having trouble with the lesson, but I don't think she'd make a scene just to get out of it.”

“How would you know that?” Stoker snorted, “You only just met her tonight.”

“Stoker dropped a centipede down Holly's shirt.” Ashley said from his cart, finally tattling on the short vampire.

“What? You saw that and you didn't say anything?!” Oskar shot Ashley an accusing frown.

“Whaaat? Leechy saw it too, and he didn't say anything, either.” Ashley said in defense.

“Why not?!” Gothetta demanded, her hands upon her hips as she looked over at Leechy.

Leechy shrugged.

“But... that was a mean thing to do to Holly.” Klot spoke up, holding a finger to his mouth as he poked at one of his baby fangs. The fang had been bothering him lately.

“Oh, come on!” Stoker gave a smug, mischievous grin, “If she wants to play pretend and go to school with vampires, she should know there's going to be some... incidents. Some consequences.”

“As much as I hate to agree with Stoker, especially when he's wording it like that, he has a point.” Leechy said, adjusting his spectacles, “It's not going to be easy for Holly here. She'll need to be able to stand up for herself.”

“But Oxblood wasn't giving her room to speak. One of you should have said something!” Gothetta continued to express her displeasure with the situation.

“And be stuck in detention with her for interrupting Oxblood while he's giving someone else a lecture? No thank you.” Ashley commented.

Oxblood poked his head out of the class doorway to call out to the children in the hall. “Alright children, break-time is over. Back to your seats! Wait...”, he paused, stepping out into the hall and counting their heads, “Where is Holly?”

Stoker smirked, “Getting special treatment.”

“Hrrm.” Oxblood frowned, returning to the classroom. Stoker followed, accompanied by Leechy with Klot pushing Ashley's cart behind them.

“Well, I guess nothing can be done about it now...,” Oskar said, watching Stoker confidently strut back into the classroom and out of earshot, “...unless we get Stoker to admit what he did in front of Oxblood.”

“Tell me you have a plan for that.” said Gothetta, her eyes lighting up with the promise of turning Stoker's trick against him.

“I just might.” Oskar offered her a wink, “I'll talk to you about it later, on the way to lunch.”

 


	5. Garlic In The Plumbing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Holly is shown her new room and Lenny makes a horrifying discovery in the kitchen.

**T** he room Lenny had brought Holly to was apparently on the “sunny side” of the castle, or so he claimed. It was also at a corner where two halls intersected, and it supposedly had a nice view of the castle courtyard below. Lenny told her that this just was one of the rooms that they used when ever they had a mortal guest, which was a very rare occurrence. Holly did not allow herself to think about how such visits may have ended. Seeing her looking unsettled, Lenny assured her that this room had barely, if ever, been used; and was located far from the others. Still, Holly did not allow herself to think about it.

Lenny did not enter the room with her. He offered to wait outside and escort her back to class once she had changed clothes, but Holly insisted she already knew the way and so Lenny left to return to his chores. He had said he would need to make lunch soon, anyway. With that, Holly was alone and free to make herself familiar with the bedroom that was to become hers.

The room was spacious, and there were a few nice, if old, pieces of furniture in it. There was a large dresser to her left and a twin dresser far off to her right, against the wall. Beside that was a vanity, complete with a cushioned stool and an ornate round mirror. Behind Holly was a queen sized canopy bed, with romantic looking sheer curtains draped all around it. The room itself had stone walls and a tall ceiling with wooden rafters. There was one, giant arched window on the wall to the right of her that was covered in thick, heavy curtains. There was a door on the wall to her left that lead to a hall outside the room, and another door just off to her right against the wall she was currently facing, which also lead outside of the room. On the wall behind her, close to the corner of the room and near the large bed, was a narrow closet door. 

The décor of the room itself was rather sparse. Aside from the furniture there was not much to look at. There were two or three paintings hung on the walls, depicting countryside and flowers, and a few wall candelabras with curved glass sconces. A closer look revealed these candelabras to be entirely aesthetic, with little light bulbs implying they were powered by electricity. There was a plain vase with some assortment of wilting flowers set atop one of the dressers. The room was carpeted and had a large round rug at it's center. Nothing really stood out. The faded white and faint shades of dull violet that made up the entirety of the room's color scheme where clearly meant to have a calming effect. This room seemed different compared to the rest of the castle. This was likely due to it's intended purpose, which made it seem almost fitting that she would be placed there.

Holly did not doubt that, in time, she would come to appreciate what had been given to her; but right now, she wanted to fit in with the rest of the children, and she felt that would be difficult as long as she was being unnecessarily pampered. If she ever got a moment alone with her mother again, she decided she would talk to her about it. 

Right in front of her was a full-length mirror that Lenny had brought for her. Holly stood with her hand pressed against it and stared at her reflection. When Lenny left earlier, Holly had changed out of her old bright clothes the moment she was certain of her privacy, and then discarded them on the foot of the bed behind her. What she wore now was a simple, old knee-length white dress with cap sleeves and a black sash tied around the waist. Under the dress she wore a cotton camisole and another undergarment that she thought resembled “pumpkin pants”. Her white high tops had been traded in for simple, black flats. Looking like this, Holly felt she belonged in an old portrait, or maybe as a flower girl for someone's unnecessarily depressing wedding. The only modern thing about her now was her two black hair clips and the simple black rope necklace that she refused not to wear. 

“You'll fit in better.” she told herself, “Dressed like this, you'll fit in better with everyone else.” She missed her ugly green and yellow shirt and pink shorts already. 

Holly frowned and removed the black shoes, changing them out for her white high tops again. She decided that if she was going to dress uncomfortably, then she was at least going to wear comfortable shoes. Gathering up her courage, she stepped outside into the hall.

Meanwhile, lunch time would be arriving soon and Lenny had not even begun to prepare the midnight meal. He had been so busy with his other nightly chores, as well as assisting Lady Morgana and her daughter with settling in, that he barely had enough time to retreat to the kitchen. Putting on his chef hat and apron, Lenny hummed to himself as he picked up a large pot and carried it over to a deep sink. 

“Lady Morgana has not returned from her trip to town.” Lenny thought aloud, “I suppose I should make enough stew for Holly as well, just in case her mother is not back in time.”

Lenny set the pot down and turned on the sink facet. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully, “But will she eat it?” he asked himself.

An alarming odor hit Lenny's nose and caused him to turn the sink off immediately. He peered into the pot, which was barely a quarter full. The water inside had an almost oily sheen to it, and as he rocked the pot around to get a better idea of why the water might look that way, he was hit with the same smell again. He recoiled in disgust.

“Garlic!” Lenny cried, fanning at his nose, “How did something like _that_ get into the pot?!”

Dumping the pot into the sink, he poured out the tainted water then set the pot upright and turned on the facet once more. Again, he was hit with the same odor, leading Lenny to realize that the pot wasn't the culprit, but the water coming from the facet was. Coughing, he shut the water off and dumped the pot once more. 

“What in Dracula's name is going on here? Why is there garlic in the water pipes?” he distanced himself from the sink, taking off his hat and apron and covering his nose with his hand. “We get our water from the lake. Maybe a patch of garlic is growing near the water pump, but that would be impossible – wouldn't it?”

Out of the kitchen and down through one of the castle's many hidden passages, Lenny made his way into the boiler room. The smell was even stronger in there, but he could see no direct cause. He followed the pipes until he was outside and at the edge of the broad lake that separated the castle from the nearby mortal village. He looked for the main intake pipe that connected the lake with the castle's plumbing.

Lenny gasped in alarm. There was a small man with white hair and mustache, wearing a brown plaid hat and a dark coat with red ascot, and he was poking around the edge of the lake. Lenny recognized him immediately as Polidori, the town's only vampire hunter. Polidori was a bit of a bungler, but his traps were never to be underestimated. Lenny dove into a nearby bush to hide himself.

Polidori's inventions were usually always dangerous, and at that moment, he seemed to be quite busy with a new one. It was a red machine of some kind, with various knobs and switches. It had a large funnel sticking up from it's back, and a thick black hose coming out of the other end that lead into the lake. It was hooked up to what appeared to be a generator that was sitting inside the back of Polidori's van, which was parked nearby. 

Polidori was feeding a disgusting wet mess of what looked to be minced garlic and water into the machine. To Lenny's horror, he could only assume the machine's black hose was connected to the intake pipe under the lake's surface, and that was why the water in the castle kitchen reeked of garlic.

“If he keeps that up,” Lenny began, emerging from the safety of his bush, “the entire castle will smell like garlic! Everyone will be sick for weeks! Not to mention what might happen should anyone actually try to use that water!”

Without thinking, Lenny approached Polidori and called out to him, pointing with a long finger. “Stop that this instant! You're going to make people sick!”

“People?” the short little man replied as he looked up from what he was doing, “You mean... VAMPIRES!”

Lenny regretted his rash decision to approach Polidori on his own immediately. The angry little man turned towards the lanky vampire groundskeeper and launched a net at him from some contraption he had picked up off the ground directly nearby. The net was laced with garlic cloves, and as Lenny turned to flee, he felt the disgusting thing drape over his head and take him down. A normal net would be nothing to fear, but the cloves of garlic on Polidori's net made it instantly feel heavy. The stink of the vegetable filled Lenny's nostrils, and the balding groundskeeper found his eyelids fluttering as he tried to remain conscious. In mere moments, he was out cold; trapped and weakened.

“There, that takes care of one of the beasts! Now to wait for the others...” Polidori stood over Lenny's body, taking a moment to reload his net firing weapon before wrapping the unconscious vampire tightly in the net that had trapped him. With some effort, he began pulling Lenny into the back of his van.

Polidori's eyes wandered to the castle looming overhead, “If one came out to check, then surely more will. Paulus Polidori, you've finally done it!”, the old man cackled with glee, “They'll come trickling out one by one and likely be just as easy to take down! -But what if they don't? Hmn. I supposed I'll have to make my way in...”

Once Lenny was loaded into the van, Polidori returned to his machine and resumed feeding it the minced garlic water. He continued to talk to himself, “I'll give this a little more time to work it's magic. With the castle filled with garlic water, the vampires inside will be weakened and the entire castle grounds will be part of my advantage!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These next few chapters will likely have some variation in how they have been written as I am still under a lot of stress. I hope my storytelling is capable of remaining enjoyable, however.
> 
> Thank you for reading. See you in the next chapter.
> 
> ~Spider


	6. Shelter In The Crypt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With the stink of garlic filling the castle, Oxblood leads the children down into the crypt. Count Alarich leaves to seek out the source of the garlic, and to find Lenny, who is missing.

**“T** here you are, Holly.” Oxblood stated dryly as Holly returned to class, “I was beginning to think we would not see you again for the rest of the night.”

Holly frowned at Oxblood's comment as she timidly entered the classroom. She knew the feeling of being out of place would subside as the nights passed and she got used to being in the presence of all these vampires, but right now, every little comment had potential to upset, and every little thing stole her focus.

Oxblood took note of the girl's different appearance. Some warmth returned to his voice, “Ah, I see! So that is what was taking you so long. You were putting on your school uniform. Very good; it suits you much better than that awful, brightly colored assortment you were wearing before. Now, return to your seat.”

With a nod, Holly faced the class and proceeded to climb the steps back up to the desk she shared with Gothetta. She noticed Stoker at the back of the class, smirking at her. She ignored him.

“Is that what they're making you wear?” Gothetta asked as Holly sat down next to her; she smiled, “I like it. Like Oxblood said, it suits you.” 

“What? Really?” Holly asked, picking at her dress, “It feels so … dated. But I guess it does look okay.”

“Don't worry about it so much.” Oskar was turned around in his seat, listening to the two girls. He smiled at Holly, “It looks great on you.”

Unexpectedly, Klot spoke up from the front row, across from Oskar. “Holly looks pretty!”

Holly felt her cheeks grow hot. Their compliments seemed sincere enough, but they were making her feel bashful. She thought she heard Stoker spit out a quick snort in the back, but she was grateful that he didn't offer his own opinion on how she looked. From the centipede event earlier, she could tell he was going to be a real pain in the neck; though hopefully not a literal one.

“Alright children, that's enough.” Oxblood announced, grabbing everyone's attention, “We are only halfway through tonight's lesson and it is already close to midnight! Holly, you will have to share notes with Gothetta to catch up with the rest of the class. I suggest you do so at lunch.”

“Yes, Mr. Oxblood!” Holly said quickly, reminding herself of Oxblood's earlier advice on speaking with certainty.

“Why not just do it in detention?” Stoker asked, his voice carrying a smug little bit of amusement.

Gothetta turned and frowned at Stoker, while Holly gripped their desk tight enough to make her knuckles turn white. 

“Stoker!” Oxblood began, ready to berate the child. “-Wait, what is that horrible smell?”

Oxblood began sniffing the air, and Holly braced for the easy insult that she was certain Stoker wouldn't pass up; a chance to say the smell was her.

“Is that... garlic?” Oxblood asked and wandered out of the class door and into the hall. 

By now, the other vampire children were also sniffing the air. Holly gave a sniff or two herself but couldn't pick up on the scent everyone else was getting. 

“That does smell a bit like garlic.” Gothetta said in confusion, “But what's it doing in the castle and why can we smell it here?”

“It's probably the _human_ girl.” Stoker accused, pinching his nose in disgust, “She's brought some from outside, and now she's trying to use it to get back at us for laughing at her!”

Oskar also pinched his nose. He scowled and turned in his seat to peer back at Stoker, “You'd be the one she'd be trying to get back at, Stoker. You were the only one who laughed, and _you_ were the one who put that centipede down her shirt in the first place!”

“You can't prove that, bat-boy.” Stoker leaned forward on his desk, grinning.

“What's your problem, pipsqueak?!” Holly said, turning to face Stoker from her seat.

“Pipsqueak?!” Stoker pulled back in surprise before looking angry. He pointed at Holly, “Listen here, bloodbag-”

“Enough, all of you!” Gothetta snapped, getting everyone's attention, “It's not Holly. I'm sitting right next to her and she's not where the smell is coming from, ok?! It smells like... ugh, like it's coming from _everywhere_ else.”

“Or like it's coming from the walls.” Leechy said, packing up a few books from his desk and tucking them under his arms, “I think we should prepare for a classroom evacuation.”

Oxblood returned to the classroom just as Leechy finished speaking, and confirmed his estimation, “Alright children. Form a line and exit the classroom quickly, but in an orderly fashion. We will be gathering in the crypt to await further instruction- Hurry up now, follow me.”

“The crypt?” Holly asked as she scooted out of Gothetta's desk. She fell in line behind Oskar, leaning aside to allow Klot through as he went to fetch Ashley.

“It's where we sleep during the day. Where our coffins are.” Oskar explained, forming the front of the line as they exited the classroom.

“Am I allowed to be in there?” Holly asked.

Gothetta was behind her, covering her own nose, “I think what ever is going on is being treated as an emergency so, yes.”

Oskar looked slightly puzzled, but a part of him also seemed to understand why Holly would ask such a thing. “For an emergency, yes. But also any other time as well, I would imagine. I mean, we all hang out in there from time to time and as long as we're not sleeping, I don't see why you wouldn't be allowed in.”

Holly felt herself blush again, and once more it was from some measure of embarrassment. Of course she would be allowed in the crypt with the rest of the children. She wondered why she even asked that. Perhaps having her own room had bred some feeling of isolation or implied separation in her mind, she thought.

Oxblood ushered them out of the class, waiting for the last child, being Klot pushing Ashley in his cart, before walking ahead to be at the front of the line of vampire children. Almost everyone walked with their noses pinched. Oxblood gave them more insight as they moved along.

“The odor seems to be predominantly coming from somewhere on this floor.” he said, “We are not certain what is the cause just yet, but the lower levels of the castle, such as your crypt, seem to be unaffected. Until we know more about the situation, the Count has deemed it safer to keep all of you children in there.” 

“But Professor Oxblood,” Leechy spoke up from behind Gothetta, “Wouldn't it be much safer to have us in the open air, outside?”

“Why that's-” Oxblood began, but quickly second guessed himself, “Actually that is a good question. I won't act without the Count's consent, but I will tell him of your suggestion the moment I return to him, and we shall see what happens from there.”

“That won't be necessary, Professor Oxblood. I overheard.” No one had noticed when Count Alarich had started to follow them, but there he was, and his sudden presence caused Oxblood to jump.

“Count von Horrificus!” Oxblood placed a thin hand over his heart, “Er, any word on Lenny's whereabouts yet?”

“Lenny is missing?” Gothetta whispered past Holly to Oskar. Oskar shrugged, but looked concerned.

“Not yet.” the Count shook his head. 

Holly's face twisted as she wrinkled her nose. She was beginning to smell the weird odor in the air herself. However, as they descended into the lower levels of the castle, the heavy smell of garlic became less noticeable. Once they reached the crypt, the odor was completely gone. The children gathered in the center of the room and waited for further instruction, while Count Alarich and Oxblood continued their discussion.

“Lady Morgana is still in town, and with Lady Kryptina away on personal business, I need you to stay with the children, Professor.” the Count said, preparing to leave without further exchange.

“But Count Alarich,” Oxblood stopped him, “What about Leechy's suggestion? Wouldn't the children be safer outside? What if the garlic odor reaches the crypt?”

Count Alarich looked back over his shoulder at Oxblood, “As it stands, we do not know what is causing this... smelly situation. Before I allow the children outside, I want to be certain this is not some oddly clever manner of vampire hunter attack. Once I am certain that being outside is safe, I will come and collect all of you. Until then, stay inside and stay with the children, Oxblood.”

“Er, yes Count.” Oxblood nodded.

Count Alarich vanished from the crypt and Oxblood gathered the children at the center of the room to keep them together.


	7. Polidori's Lucky Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Polidori seems to have uncanny luck with catching vampires tonight.

**T** he Count wandered out onto the castle ramparts. The air outside was fresh and as he peered around the castle courtyard and at the land far below, he considered returning to tell the children they could leave the crypt and wait outside. He could see nothing out there around the castle or within it's boundaries that could have been the cause of their unseen threat, but then he turned his sharp eyes downwards and to the lake's edge closest to the castle. 

There he saw it, a menacing white van parked lakeside. Nearby was a red machine with a black hose dropped into the water and a little man wearing brown crouched over it. The back of the van was still open and the Count caught the slightest sight of movement from within. There he saw Lenny, bound by some wretched means and writhing in subtle agony.

"Polidori..." Count Alarich hissed, "That cur. Is he pumping garlic water into the lake? No, no. That machine of his must be directly connected to our intake pipe. This will be easily dealt with."

With a quick morph into his bat form, the Count flew down from his perch atop the castle and below to the trouble at the edge of the lake. The sight of the large bat overhead drew Polidori's attention and the stout vampire hunter immediately opened fire upon the Count. A thickly woven net laced with garlic whizzed past Count Alarich as he swooped down to dodge. Just clipping over Polidori and knocking his hat off was enough to frighten the little man; the vampire hunter yelped and fell to the ground, covering his head with his arms.

Count Alarich landed by the van and popped out of his bat form. Seeing Polidori shivering on the ground, the Count took a moment to observe Lenny's condition. That would prove to be a mistake. With his back turned to Polidori, the vampire hunter was able to gain the upper hand. Unannounced, Polidori fired a second net at the Count, and Count Alarich found himself brought down by the surprising weight of it.

Lenny, barely conscious, mumbled from the back of the open van as the Count went down, "I-it's the garlic, sir. It's s-so heavy..."

Count Alarich struggled with the net, but Lenny had been correct. The garlic in the weave was quickly sapping his strength. Polidori loomed over the Count, the short man's stature far more imposing now that Count Alarich was forced upon the ground and unable to get back up.

"Excellent!" The eccentric old vampire hunter cackled, "I've caught two of the beasties! And I'm willing to bet I can capture more. This night is going so well! Haha!"

Polidori clicked his heels and turned his attention towards the castle above them. He returned to his van, stepping cautiously over Lenny, and then jumped out of it again with a pack of supplies on his back. Both Count Alarich and Lenny could only look on as their enemy made his way for the winding path that would lead him up to the castle drawbridge.

Back inside the castle, Holly watched after the open doorway through which the Count had left, and felt a creeping unease. He was taking far too long to return and the smell of garlic had begun to seep into the crypt. The children huddled together. 

Oxblood held a hand to his aging brow, "I fear something has gone very wrong. Children, we cannot stay down here any longer. We must risk it and make our way out into the courtyard before the stench gets any stronger. Hurry now!"

The teacher lead the children out, ushering them along quickly. Oxblood's own fear was quite evident and his attempt to keep it hidden from the children failed miserably as the desperation in his voice betrayed him.

Everyone heaved, except for Holly who merely shuddered at the strong scent all around them. She noted how the other children had become sluggish, and how Oxblood had to encourage them to bump into one another to keep their fellow students from succumbing to a daze. 

"Hurry... children... H-Hurry..." Oxblood wheezed.

They did not get far. Little Klot was the first to drop. He tripped over his feet and fell to the stone floor. Holly rushed to the end of the line to grab the little vampire up in her arms, but he proved heavier than she had expected. Oskar came to help her, at first seeming as if he were going to take Klot himself, but after discovering the weakness in his own limbs he simply assisted Holly with getting Klot onto her back. Gothetta came to collect Ashley's cart and push it, though it wasn't long before she was leaning heavily upon it. 

Stoker went down next, whimpering and in a daze as he spread out onto the castle floor. Leechy tried to pull him up but only ended up falling over the shorter vampire and staying there. Oxblood turned to see his students starting to drop like flies.

"Push, children! Stay... stay.... f-focu...sed..." the elderly vampire started, but his words faded into mumbles as he also lost the ability to stand.

Before Holly knew it, she was the only one left on her feet. Klot's voice came from behind her as the child spoke weakly into her ear.

"Holly, I'm scared..." he whimpered.

"I-I am too." Holly said. She received no response and discovered that Klot had completely lost consciousness. She lowered the child from her back and laid him carefully upon the floor near his classmates. 

Standing alone amongst the unconscious children and teacher, with the overwhelming stink of garlic all around her, Holly fretted over what to do. Fearing that prolonged exposure to the garlic air in the halls would bring about the worst outcome for the other children and for Oxblood, Holly rushed forward through the hall until she reached the end. She pressed her small frame against the large doors of the castle entrance and fought their weight until she pushed one open. 

She stumbled into the courtyard and kept going. She wasn't certain what she was doing or where she was about to run off to, but she wanted desperately to find help. Over to the drawbridge she ran. She jumped onto the lever to lower it and let the bridge drop. To her surprise, a short man was already on the other side. She knew right away from the look of him that he wasn't there to help.

He marched forward with frightening intention in his eyes, laughing aloud to himself and waving about an odd looking weapon that reminded her of a crossbow. 

"So you've come to me, beast!" he shouted as he advanced, "Very well. Accept your fate at the hands of Paulus Polidori!"

With a terrified squeak, Holly dodged the stout madman as he fired his weapon. A net laced with garlic cloves flew over her head and she darted off down the bridge. She heard him call after her.

"You can run, but you'll never escape, you vile creature! I'll round up the rest of the monsters in this castle and put them in my van with the others at the lake, then I'll hunt you down as well!!!"

The lake! Holly now knew where to go. It was likely this crazy little man had been the cause of their problems tonight, and if he really did have more vampires captive, she was willing to bet he meant they were Lenny and the Count. She hoped, at least. 

Quickly down the dizzying spire plateau Holly ran, and clumsily along the lakeside as she stumbled over weeds and mounds of mud. She searched for the van Polidori had mentioned. Upon finding it, she was both relieved and horrified to discover Lenny and Count Alarich contained in two large garlic nets. Lenny seemed to just barely be conscious while the Count weakly struggled against his restraints.

"Holly!" the Count exclaimed upon noticing her, "You should not be here!"

"I-I can get you out!" Holly stammered, "The garlic doesn't bother me!"

"Quickly child," Count Alarich said, "do what you must to get us free, then hide yourself. There is a vampire hunter-"

"He's in the castle!" Holly leapt into the back of Polidori's open van to find something sharp enough to aid her. She swiped what looked like a pair of hedge trimmers and went to free the Count first.

"What?! How did he get past the drawbridge-" Count Alarich started, but stopped as realization dawned upon him. "I see. This will be overlooked; for now. Hurry, I must get back inside!"

With effort, mostly due to the large size of the tool in her hands, Holly cut the Count free. Count Alarich shook the net from his body and leaned upon his cane as he staggered away from it. He limped over towards Polidori's garlic pump and with one swift action, drove his cane through it, effectively breaking the machine. He turned to see Holly helping Lenny out of his net, the child struggling to support the groundskeeper's weight as Lenny leaned on her.

"Lenny." Count Alarich said, commanding the groundskeeper's attention.

"...Yeees your Horribleness?" Lenny asked, taking his weight off Holly's shoulders and standing with a dizzy hand to his brow.

"See to it that the plumbing system is flushed immediately. I must stop Polidori before he has a chance to harm any of the children." The Count took on his bat form and quickly took to the air.

"Yes Count! Right away!" Lenny called after him.

"What do-" Holly started, but trailed off as Count Alarich flew off for the castle, "...I do...?"

Lenny placed a slender hand upon her shoulder and offered with a curl of his other hand, "You come with me and help me flush the plumbing."

"But, won't the garlic smell be really strong in there? Won't you pass out?" Holly inquired with worry.

Lenny smiled and explained, "Not to worry, little Miss. Leechy made me a suit that protects against sunlight and should protect against garlic. It is in the boiler room, waiting."

The balding groundskeeper lead Holly through the tall grass beside the lake and over to the boiler room's hidden entrance. Upon trying to enter the boiler room together, Holly found herself needing to brace Lenny's legs as the powerful stench of garlic seemed to punch him. He reeled, almost tripping over the child. 

"I... I cannot get in! The smell is too strong." Lenny lamented, "Oooh. What will we do now?"

"What does the suit look like? I'll go in and get it for you!" Holly quickly offered.

Lenny pointed into the hidden entrance, "It's the only suit in there of any kind, immediately to your right just as you enter. Bring it out here to me, and try to hurry. We may be running out of time!"

Holly nodded and darted into the boiler room. Any other time and she would have thought it to be odd to have a boiler room tucked away so far below the castle and in the very base of the looming, jagged plateau the castle sat upon; but this was no time for pondering such things. She spotted the suit Lenny had told her about and grabbed it. It fell upon her, the weight of it heavy on her small frame and it's thick fabric smelled like an old factory. The bubble helmet attached to the suit dragged behind her feet as she carried it back out to Lenny.

Lenny took the suit from the child and drew back in disgust as he noted the subtle smell of garlic upon it. He expected no less with how it had been exposed to the stink inside the boiler room, however. With Holly to help him balance, the vampire groundskeeper slipped the suit on and Holly helped close him up inside it.

"Ah. Much better." Lenny said and made his way into the hidden boiler room. Holly followed after.

Once inside, Lenny started with the boiler. He began the process of flushing it and it did not take long to get new water flowing through the pipes. The balding groundskeeper stepped away from his work and collapsed upon the floor with his back against the nearest stone wall. Holly had been fidgeting the entire time, but now she hurried to his side. He chuckled, his voice muffled by the bubble helmet of his suit.

"There; that will do it. Now, to wait for the pipes to fill then empty, then fill then empty again. The stench of garlic should be gone by then." Lenny said.

"That sounds like it's going to take a long time." Holly stated and she cast a nervous glance towards nearby stone stairs that lead up into the castle.

"It will." Lenny confirmed, "And I suppose all the windows and doors will have to be opened so the castle itself can air out."

"That vampire hunter is in there right now! The Count looked really weak when he flew off - he could barely stay in the air!" Holly's tone implied the want to do something further, and the girl's worry was evident.

Lenny shrugged his shoulders and frowned apologetically at Holly from within his suit, "I'm too weak to do anything more. My legs just gave out from under me, little Miss."

"You don't have to do anything." Holly said before darting away from Lenny's side.

True to Lenny's words, he was unable to get back up onto his legs to chase after the child. He simply called out behind her, his voice a fading plea for her to come back and keep herself safe.

"Polidori can be dangerous...!" Lenny's words echoed faintly behind Holly as she ascended the steps, back up to the castle halls.


	8. A School For Vampires

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All's well that ends well, I say.

**T** he Count had been guilty of underestimating Polidori before, which was understandable when one considered how often the vampire hunter blundered and bungled; but Polidori would have surprising bouts of competence that usually caused some manner of immediate danger for the school and it's students. Tonight was once such case. The good thing about Polidori's success, was that if it turned into a failure, he was loathe to try the same trick twice. This thought assured the Count as he staggered through the castle halls. If he could convince Polidori that he had somehow failed, Polidori would not attempt something like this garlic water incident again.

By the time the Count had caught up with the vampire hunter, Polidori had already found Oxblood and the children, and was binding them. Count Alarich could tell from their positions in the hall that Oxblood must have tried leading the children out of the crypt to reach the fresh air of the courtyard outside, and had failed. The Count cursed himself for not allowing the children out at the start. He felt his body begin to drag him down. He had barely recovered from the garlic weave net outside, and now the potent stink all around him was starting to weaken him again. Count Alarich lurched forward, trying to be silent as his body struggled with it's own weight.

"I know not how you got free, monster," Polidori started as he noticed the Count's attempt to sneak up on him, "but Paulus Polidori will put you back down on the floor where you belong!"

"With another net, Polidori? Your tricks will not catch me off guard a second time." Count Alarich hissed and raised his posture up to it's fullest. His muscles trembled with fatigue, though he held his body as still as he could muster. He needed to be imposing.

He failed. Polidori had noticed the quiver in the Count's limbs and chuckled smugly. There was a dark lean in his tone, "Oh no, no. No more nets - not for you, at least."

Count Alarich found himself staring down the barrel of the most nonthreatening thing imaginable; a water gun. He perked a brow at Polidori's curious choice before realizing what must be in the toy's reservoir. Count Alarich readied himself, his aching body preparing to quickly dart aside once Polidori fired.

"You act unafraid now, but I assure you this little thing will be your undoing." Polidori said. The kooky vampire hunter had always been one for dramatics, and he proved that of himself even now as he so smugly explained what the water gun was filled with, "This is a special mixture of squeezed garlic and holy water! It will burn your wretched flesh right off your wicked bones!"

The Count narrowed his gaze. That would be problematic if it were to touch any part of him at all. 

A thunderous rumble drew Polidori's attention. "What in Van Hellsing's hat is that racket?!" Poidori roughly inquired as the pipes in the walls shook. The flushing out of the garlic water had begun.

Seeing an opportunity, Count Alarich tried to move forward only to find his limbs less compliant than he had last recalled. The sight of the Count's movement recaptured Polidori's attention and he readied his water gun - however, the quick pattering of small feet rapidly approaching from behind would pull the vampire hunter's focus away again.

Holly had emerged from one of the many hidden passages in the walls and was rushing to reach the other children. Polidori fired his water gun on her, instead.

"Down! You resilient little blood-sucker!" he shouted.

The child cried out as the oily mixture of garlic and holy water hit her. She fell to the floor, rolling until she stopped very near Polidori's feet. The Count's eyes widened as he witnessed the child fall, and he found strength in his limbs again.

"Polidori, you wretch! It is one thing to attack me and my staff, it is another entirely to harm our children!" The Count loomed over the little man, who turned to face the enraged master vampire with quite the look of fear upon his features. Still, Polidori held his ground and began rapidly pumping the water gun to refill it's chamber. 

"Hell beast!", he spat at the Count, "That was no child! That was a vile creature of the night, just like the rest of you!"

Before Poidori could take aim, something unpleasant happened to him. The child who had fallen at his feet suddenly sprang up behind him and locked her arms around his shoulders. Trying with all her might, Holly opened her mouth and bit down firmly upon Polidori's clothed neck, applying as much quick and hard pressure as she could manage. The vampire hunter yelped and threw the child from his back. In a sudden fit of panic, he stumbled past the looming Count ahead of him and quickly down the hall. 

"HELP! I've been bitten by one of the beasts! Holy water! I need holy water!!" Polidori cried as he desperately fled. Within moments, he was gone from their sights.

Holly picked herself up from the floor and shuddered. She could still taste Polidori's old coat all over her tongue. Unexpectedly, she found her chin in the grasp of Count Alarich as he moved over to her. She blinked up at him.

"Open your mouth, child." Count Alarich said gently. 

Holly did as instructed and opened her mouth wide. The Count turned her head this way and that, before nodding and releasing her. He stood up tall once more and looked to have a little more strength to him. The stink of garlic in the air around them had begun to subside as the pipes in the walls continued to empty and refill.

"Just as I thought," the Count said with a smile, "as flat as a peasant's."

"My teeth?" Holly asked.

Count Alarich nodded and looked almost amused, "Yes. Though Polidori will not realize that until he is far away from here. And it seems you were never harmed by the garlic holy water he struck you with... How very clever, Miss Holly."

"I saw that." Oskar's voice sounded weakly from the floor. Holly turned to see him smiling at her, "That _was_ clever."

"I witnessed it as well," said Oxblood, appearing to have also come around at some point, "but perhaps young Holly should free us first before we go about singing her praise?"

There was a unanimous groan of agreement from the rest of the children. Count Alarich rested himself against the wall.

"I am still a bit... fatigued from all of that wretched garlic. It would be unwise for me to place my hands upon their tainted restraints. Miss Holly? If you would do them the honor?" Count Alarich suggested and gestured to the others.

Holly nodded and quickly set about freeing Oxblood and the other children. She cast their bindings aside, and Count Alarich used his cane to cast the binds aside even further - right out the nearest window. With the pipes now clean and the only source of garlic being what Polidori had used on the children, with even that quickly vanishing as well, everyone was starting to look more alert. 

Oxblood stood up with a little help from Oskar and Leechy while Gothetta picked little Klot up from the ground and helped him find his way to Ashley's cart - which Polidori had thankfully overlooked. All that was left was Stoker, and Holly hesitated when she reached him.

Stoker stared up at her with the roundest eyes he could manage, and tried to give her a charming smile as he waited for her to free him. Holly frowned down at the short vampire and folded her arms. Stoker blinked and realized what she was doing - or wasn't going to do.

"You can't be serious!" he complained, "Untie me this instant!"

Holly squinted at him and frowned even harder. She did not budge.

"Holly?" Oxblood asked when he noticed the situation, "What is with the hesitation?"

"She's probably waiting on Stoker to apologize." Oskar said, turning a smirk Stoker's way.

"Oh yeah, that's right. Stoker did something really nasty to Holly earlier in the night." Gothetta added, speaking in a matter-of-fact manner, but also with quite the smirk.

"Wh- You mean the centipede? That was... That was just a joke! A harmless joke, I swear!" Stoker wriggled in his garlic tainted binds.

"Just a joke." Ashely said from his cart as Klot brought him around, "A joke that got Holly stuck in detention."

"Stoker! Is this true?" Oxblood asked, now curiously eyeing the small vampire.

Stoker clenched his teeth and let his gaze dart around from face to face. Between smug smiles and inquisitive stares, he knew there would be only one way out of this. He began to whine.

"Yes! It's true! It's all true! I dropped a centipede down Holly's shirt and caused her to disrupt the class! There! I said it! I admitted it! Now let me go! Plee-he-he-ease!" Stoker whined pitifully and writhed, his struggle causing him to bounce on the floor indignantly.

Holly smiled and helped Stoker out of his restraints. He was quick to pull away from her and sulk, but Holly seemed rather pleased. Oxblood, on the other hand, was quite disappointed.

"Well, it seems that I, too, owe young Miss Holly an apology." Oxblood began, "I will make up for it by revoking her one hour's morning detention and issuing it to Stoker, instead."

"Wha-" Stoker started, but Oxblood stopped him.

"Any complaints and I will make it two hours morning detention." The elderly vampire stated.

"Huh. I guess I can forgive you now, Stoker." Holly said, seeming even more pleased. Stoker gave her a cold shoulder and grumbled something under his breath.

Oskar chuckled at the exchange before him.

"I'm curious, Oksar." Gothetta began, drawing Oskar's attention, "You said you had a plan for Stoker that you were going to share with me at lunch."

"Oh," Oskar said, "I was just going to try and get him to boast about what he had done to Holly, but this works too."

He then turned to look for his uncle, who had been oddly quiet the entire time. Oskar found him still leaning against the wall, merely observing.

"Are you all right, Uncle?" Oskar asked.

Count Alarich held up a hand, "I am fine, Oskar. Do not worry."

The Count moved from his resting spot and began to make his way down the hall. He paused to call back to Oxblood and the rest of the children.

"Come. Let us step outside into the fresh air and clear our lungs. I suspect the castle drawbridge still needs attending to, as well." Count Alarich said.

The children fell in line behind the Count and Holly found her place behind Oskar and Gothetta. 

"That was really smart," Gothetta said, passing holly an amused grin, "making Polidori think he had been bitten by a vampire."

"Technically he was. A half-vampire, at least." Oskar offered from the front as they all walked.

Holly smiled at her feet, feeling a grin spread across her face from ear to ear.

"Puh. Half-vampire..." Stoker sorely spoke up from behind them.

Leechy followed in agreement with Oskar and Gothetta, giving no room for Stoker's grumbling, "A half-vampire indeed. I have a feeling things are about to get quite interesting here at school with Holly around. I'm rather interested in the developmental changes she might undergo, myself."

"Holly is a half-mortal-vampire!" Klot added gleefully from the very back.

"Hey, I'm just thankful she was here to get all that garlic off of us. Very useful." Ashley commented from his cart as Klot pushed him along.

"Miss Holly," the Count began as they all finally filed out into the courtyard, "It has been quite a busy night, has it not?"

Lenny darted past the group quickly, having emerged suddenly from inside the castle and jogging by in his suit. "Excuse me, children!" he said as he hurried over to the drawbridge to raise it. Holly was glad to see Lenny had finally recovered, as well.

"Y-Yes sir." Holly said, drawing her focus immediately back to the Count, "A very busy night!"

Count Alarich smiled down at the girl, "This is a school for vampires, as you know."

"Yes sir." Holly nodded, uncertain as to where he was about to go with that statement. She was surprised when he placed his hand upon her shoulder.

"I believe you will fit in just fine." Count Alarich said.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading. 
> 
> I can't thank Princess enough for coming in and helping me with the final two chapters, as I have been under a lot of stress lately.
> 
> I hope you enjoyed the story. See you next time.
> 
> ~Spider


	9. OOC: Ownership transfer.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Spider says goodbye

This is merely an announcement for the records. 

I, Spider, am relinquishing ownership of my OCs Holly and Morgana Bluemoon to Papercrownprincess. I am also granting her full control of School For Little Vampires, Plus One. Any stories, from here on out, will be of her own creation. She will treat them well, of this I am confident.

I am doing this because I will be abandoning my creative accounts, but do not wish to let the stories die.

Princess, I am sorry for what became of us.

~Spider

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, thank you for reading.
> 
> Please, redirect your bookmarks and attention here:  
>  **http://archiveofourown.org/users/papercrownprincess**


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